Adheres

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cling tightly to a surface while also being loyal to a belief system and consistently adhering to established rules or guidelines is essential for integrity
2. To attach firmly and not easily come off a surface ; to maintain loyalty or commitment to a particular principle or set of guidelines
3. To remain fixed to a surface without detaching ; to consistently support or obey a chosen ideology or standard

Etymology: The verb "adhere" is a clear case of a Latin compound built from two simple parts. Latin "adhaerēre" joins "ad," meaning "to," with "haerēre," meaning "to stick," so the literal sense is "to stick to." That physical image of something clinging to a surface remains the heart of the modern word, and the figurative sense of holding fast to a principle grew naturally out of it. English took the word from Latin, with a Middle English form "adheren" that is inferred from a related present participle, "adherande." French "adhérer" follows the same path, so the word is shared across the two languages. The "haer-" root of the Latin verb also gave English "hesitate" and "cohere" by different routes, which shows how a simple idea of sticking produced a family of words with very different meanings.

Synonyms: sticks, clings, attaches, bond, follows

Antonyms: detaches, separates, repels, divides, dissociates